Posts from Beer Sessions

Too much beer is hardly a bad problem to have, but there are times when, yes, you open a bottle and realize you can't finish it. This often happens to me when I open large 750 mL bottles of specialty (and quite often very alcoholic) beers. Unless I open it with friends, it's just too much for one sitting. I used to worry that the leftover would go to waste, but now I just save it for later.

A recent post on Guys Drinking Beer has me thinking about corn. In my beer. Corn is an adjunct grain (ie, something other than the traditional barley) that has gained an unfavorable reputation for its use in big-name macrobrews like Bud Light and Coors. But is there a place for it in the craft brewing world?

Want to hang onto summer just a little longer? Pick up a bottle or two of this ale from New Belgium Brewing's Lips of Faith series and find yourself a spot on the porch. Its soft fruity flavors and candy-like malts are just the thing for living these last sunny days to their fullest.

We're not talking "lighter" in the sense of Bud Light, but lighter in the sense of making heavy bottles of craft beer easier to stow in a backpack and carry with you on a long camping trip. Pat's Backcountry Beverages is making it happen, people.

Maybe I've just been hitting the California IPA's a little too hard this summer, but I've found myself suddenly feeling worn out from all the hops. My palate needs a break from the constant battering of perfumey, piney, lemon pithy, and grapefruity flavors. And this has got me thinking: what's next? Is there something new on the horizon?

What happens when you give a rich and malty red ale a West Coast spin? Yup, that's right. You get this hop-heavy beer with a chewy caramel center from Port Brewing Company. Living up to its name, this one definitely has some bite.

We're familiar with the big name British beers like Samuel Smith, Speckled Hen, and Boddingtons, of course, but these represent only a sliver of England's beer scene. Ever heard of Badger Golden Champion? Or Crouch Vale Essex Boys? Me neither. But by the sounds of it, these are beers worth jumping the pond to find.

The idea of a white IPA brewed with wheat is an intriguing one. After all, we've done black IPAs, dry-hopped IPAs, double and imperial IPAs, so why not a white IPA? It was only after picking up the bottle that I saw it was a joint project from two of my favorite breweries, Green Flash and Founders. I could hardly wait to get it home.

Is there a craft beerfest in your near future? These events bring in breweries from nearby and far away, giving you a chance to sample your way through a wide range of beers in the span of an afternoon. Fun times! Here are a few tips for making the most of your experience.

How could I say no to a sweet and fruity Belgian tripel brewed with, as the description states, "a Southeast Asian twist"? The twist in this case was a dose of rice in the brew's grain bill to lighten the body and some thai basil for spicy fresh flavor. Nope, there was no saying no to this one.